April 25, 2010
2010 Big Ten Tournament Bracket 
Site: Columbus, Ohio (OSU Varsity Tennis Center)
Score: No. 6 Northwestern 5, No. 32 Ohio State 2
Records: NU (18-6, 9-1 Big Ten), Ohio State (18-8, 5-5 Big Ten)
Next NU Event: Big Ten Tournament hosted by Iowa -- Friday, April 30 vs. Ohio State or Michigan State 2 p.m. CT
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Facing a solid Big Ten team at the end of a long road trip, No. 6 Northwestern made it look easy as the Wildcats downed 32nd-ranked Ohio State 5-2 Sunday in the final dual match of the regular season. As a result, NU will head into next week's Big Ten Tournament at Iowa with an 18-6 overall dual record, a four-match winning streak and with the event's No. 2 seed.
With its 5-2 victory over the Buckeyes, NU completed its Big Ten season having won 49 of 60 conference singles matches and 23 of 30 doubles matches.
"This was a nice win for us to wrap up the regular season," said Northwestern head coach Claire Pollard. "Ohio State is going to be a tough out for any team in the tournament next week. As a team we feel we've achieved a lot already this season but I think we've still got plenty of great tennis ahead of us."
Fielding the same doubles lineup that posted a sweep of Penn State on Saturday, Northwestern turned the trick again Sunday against the Buckeyes. Elena Chernyakova and Maria Mosolova jumped on Paloma Escobedo and Christina Keesey early en route to an 8-2 victory at No. 2, the first of the day for the 'Cats. The NU tandem finished the conference slate with a 4-0 Big Ten doubles mark.
Clinching the doubles point for Northwestern were Kate Turvy and Samantha Murray, a freshman-senior duo that overcame Fidan Manashirova and Gabby Steele, 8-4, at No. 3 doubles.
Northwestern came out as the aggressor in singles, taking five of six first sets. Murray set the pace with her 6-1, 6-2, handling of Ohio State junior Paloma Escobedo, as the senior completed her career with a 32-6 record in Big Ten dual singles matches.
Murray was followed off the courts of the Varsity Tennis Center by freshman Linda Abu Mushrefova, who bested Cami Hubbs 6-2, 6-2 at the No. 6 spot to finish her freshman season with a 4-0 Big Ten mark.
Ohio State claimed its first point when Keesey was able to defeat Stacey Lee, 7-6, 6-2, at No. 5, handing Lee the first Big Ten singles loss of her career (17-1).
But Turvy secured the dual win for the Wildcats when she completed her 6-1, 6-4, defeat of Gabby Steele at No. 4. Northwestern found itself in a pair of three-setters at No. 1 and No. 3, with Mosolova needing a third-set tiebreaker win to defeat the 65th-ranked Kirsten Flower (6-4, 6-7, 1-0 (5)) at the top spot. Mosolova improved to 27-11 on the season and 17-6 in dual matches with the win.
After taking the first set of her No. 3 singles match, Lui dropped back-to-back 6-3 decisions in the next two as OSU's Kelsey Haviland gave the Buckeyes their second point of the afternoon.
Northwestern, the 11-time defending Big Ten Tournament champion, will try to make it 12 in a row next weekend in Iowa City. As the No. 2 seed, Northwestern earned a first-round bye and will face the winner of an opening-round matchup between seventh-seeded Ohio State and 10th-seeded Michigan State at 2 p.m. CT on Friday.
No. 6 Northwestern 5, No. 32 Ohio State 2
Singles
1: #12 Maria Mosolova (NU) def. #65 Kirsten Flower (OSU), 6-4, 6-7, 1-0 (10-5)
2: #39 Samantha Murray (NU) def. Paloma Escobedo (OSU), 6-1, 6-2
3: Kelsey Haviland (OSU) def. #104 Lauren Lui (NU), 3-6, 6-3, 6-3
4: Kate Turvy (NU) def. Gabby Steele (OSU), 6-1, 6-4
5: Christina Keesey (OSU) def. Stacey Lee (NU), 7-6, 6-2
6: Linda Abu Mushrefova (NU) def. Cami Hubbs (OSU), 6-2, 6-2
Doubles
1: Abu Mushrefova/Lui (NU) def. Haviland/Hubbs (OSU), 8-4
2: Chernyakova/Mosolova (NU) def. Escobedo/Keesey (OSU), 8-2
3: Murray/Turvy (NU) def. Manashirova/Steele (OSU), 8-4
Order of Finish
Singles: (2, 6, 5, 4*, 1, 3)
Doubles: (2, 3*, 1)
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